Texas has a big downsizing – where is Watt?

From cfact

By Duggan Flanakin

The ancient saw, “Everything Bigger in Texas”, may soon be realized again, as the Nueces River Authority reveals plans for deep-water desalination plants near Harbour Island near Corpus Christi, which will immediately become the largest expansion in the United States – by 2070, by 2070, larger than all existing desalination plants in the world.

Today's downslide provides drinking water to billions of people around the world, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and other Middle East countries leading the way. The largest in the world is the Ras in Khair, Saudi Arabia, with a daily capacity of 228 million gallons (MIGD).

A 2022 report says that of about 17,000 operating desalination facilities around the world, only 300 are in the U.S., 167 leaders in Florida, 58 in California and 52 in Texas. The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest desalination plant in the United States and is currently the ninth largest desalination plant in the world, offering up to 50 MIGD in the city of San Diego.

Seven of the next nine largest US desalination plants are in Florida, but ranking fifth is the Kay Bailey Hutchison facility in El Paso, which opened in 2007. The El Paso facility, however, is also the world's largest inland desalination plant, cleaning up to 27.5 million gallons per day (Mgpd) of brackish water for use at Fort Bliss and in El Paso.

Followed by San Antonio’s H2Oaks facility, which opened in 2017 and currently produces up to 12 mgpd and plans to expand its capacity to 30 mgpd by 2040.

When Alice, Texas decided to expand its capacity to its saltwater desalination plant in 2022, it became the first saltwater biochemical plant in the state to use a public-private partnership instead of relying on 100% financing from the Texas Thestate Water Fund (Swift).

Florida-based Seven Seawater Group convinced Alice officials that by financing private sector capital to downplay plants and completing wells and pipelines from sources through state revolving funding, the city could reduce its water costs while shifting risks from construction and operations to Seven Seas. 15 years later, New York City can own the facility.

John Byrum, executive director of NUECES River Authority, said the NRA intends to use the same approach to build and operate its planned 100 MGPD Phase 1 desalination plant (double the Carlsbad plant), which could start operating in the coming years. The system design includes the option to increase capacity to 450 mgpd by 2070, depending on growth and water requirements.

Byrum pointed to the current drought, noting NASA's forecast in 2015 that the western U.S. could face severe “big JPMorgans,” which could be more extreme and prolonged than the 1930s drought. Lake Christie and Choke Canyon Reservoirs serving in South Central Texas currently account for 17.9% of its combined capacity.

Bynum's team has obtained water demand forecasts from every public and large private water user in the area's 14 county areas to seek commitments to purchase water from the proposed desalination facility. The NRA is working with the Port of Corpus Christi, which has applied for permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for planned facilities to conduct air intake and water transfer structures.

The NRA is also pursuing a lease with Port Corpus Christi for Harbor Island property, which is east of the city near the ferry terminal of the Port Corpus Christi.

Just as Alice relies on a public-private partnership, the NRA facilities will be funded through a public-private partnership in which authorities will build and operate transportation systems to distribute water, while an experienced downsizing company will at least establish and operate the plant until the debt should be owed to the company.

Byrum said the waste will be sent to deep water in the U.S. Gulf and although it is possible to use salt water first for valuable minerals, they will be sent to deep water. Another benefit of using desalinated water is that it increases the flow of the Barbecue River and Nueces River in southern central Texas because of the use of this “new water” is treated by wastewater treatment.

While the NRA facility is designed to serve large industrial facilities in the area as well as smaller communities requiring additional drinking water, the city of Corpus Christi is awaiting a final permit before building its own 30 MGPD desalination plant, which the manufacturer will build at the internal port. The city’s Texas-based contractor South Co. has designed and built several desalination plants, which is expected to be completed by early 2028.

There are few downplaying projects in Texas. The southernmost Regional Water Authority has just announced plans to have its Brownsville saltwater desalination plant costing $213 million from 10 mgpd to 20 mgpd. Brownsville Mayor John Cowen is seeking funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is needed to serve the regional industry and its growing population.

Earlier, the Laguna Madre Water District announced plans to build a 10 mgpd reverse osmosis desalination plant in Port Isabel, which uses the American Bay waters of Brownsville ship channels. LMWD general manager Carlos Galvan said regional voters approved $15.6 million in bonds to build the plant in 2011, which is being enhanced by a $10 million Swift loan.

The SWIFT program is held within the Texas Water Development Commission and since 2017 the implementation of the recommended water management strategy project in the state’s water program. The revolving loan fund is an important part of the state’s long-term water security strategy as Texas continues to increase its staff and industrial facilities.

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